The diffusion of adatoms into grain boundaries of polycrystalline thin film during vapour deposition affects the stress that develops and the film’s subsequent performance. This work reported a proposed mechanism of modifying the stress by controlling adatom diffusion into grain boundaries through the use of surfactants. Based on polycrystalline kinetic Monte Carlo simulations of Cu<111> thin films with In surfactant, the authors demonstrate that the proposed mechanism was feasible. Further, the authors show that the reduction was due to the decrease in effective adatom diffusivity, which dominates over the increase in adatom concentration.

Stress Control in Polycrystalline Thin Films - Reduction in Adatoms Diffusion into Grain Boundaries via Surfactants. Y.Yang, H.Huang, S.K.Xiang, E.Chason: Applied Physics Letters, 2010, 96[21], 211903